Dungeons & Dragons has been one of the most influential properties to the world of video games ever made. It only makes perfect sense that other tabletop games take cues from the digital influences of D&D, and spread them into other tabletop legends. That’s where The Warlock of Firetop Mountain comes into play. The game is based off a “choose your own adventure” book from the early 1980s, which is essentially single-player D&D, and does a wonderful job at creating a distinct visual style.
The premise is simple. Your character wants to slay his or her way through the titular Firetop Mountain to face and defeat the titular warlock, Zagor. From the outset, you get four classes to choose from. Each class has a different story, personality, and motive for killing Zagor, but more classes are available as you acquire souls, the game’s primary currency. Developer Tin Man Games also looks to add more classes in the future, so hoarding souls is imperative.
Combat is straightforward and charming. In a visual style akin to the likes of Hitman GO, your character looks like a figurine that fights other figurines. Reading the enemy’s movements and knowing when to strike is key to progression in The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. These enemies attack in patterns that are generally easy to identify by the player. Reading these patterns is what secures you the win. If two attacks hit the same place at the same time, you’ll roll for it, meaning you’ll hit a virtual dice roll. The higher your number, the better off you’ll be.
On top of its visual style, the game boasts very tabletop-esque decisions along the way. You can choose to fight off some goblins that are killing a man, or you can just stroll on by. Obviously, choosing different encounters that lead to combat scenarios will net you some extra souls, but it could be more than you’re willing to bite off.
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is a fun, distinct, and lovely tabletop game turned digital. The game launched last week on Steam at $19.99.